Yep, that was a pretty good speech. The thought that kept running through my head, though, was, "If distributors are so effective and essential, why do they need the government to force people to do business with them?" If they're that good, they can thrive in a free market.

I stood before Kelly when I applied for a wine shop license. He exuded arrogance, not to mention fealty to wholesalers. Glad to know my suspicions were right on.

I find it interesting that an ex-police chief is in line for the job. NY State is still in the mindset that alcohol is a criminal activity that needs corrections and police people to oversee it, and I think that mindset is because criminal activity prevails, but it is not the licensees.

I'll never forget the day an armed SLA guy came to my small winery to inspect it before I could receive my license. He knocked on my door and when I opened it I stepped back a little at the sight of his uniform and gun. He said he was from the SLA to inspect. And I asked him, "if I fail are you going to shoot me?"

And because wine and spirits wholesale licenses are restricted to persons of the highest moral character, confirmed by investigation, they are placed in a position of trust by the state.

Anyone who has ever attended WSWA knows there is nobody there in the fine wine business. It is populated with beverage wine hustlers, spirits box movers and lots of guys with gold chains and big glasses of Scotch in their hands and every hooker in the area knows they're in for a big weekend.